Tom Brady and Geno Smith were once rivals in the AFC East. Now, they’re on the same side — just in a much different role than during their early-2010s matchups. Brady and Smith are both trying to knock Patrick Mahomes off his AFC West throne.
But before they can get to that point, they’ve got to grind through the offseason. That means long days behind the scenes, no fans, just focus. Brady recently weighed in on how he thinks Smith is doing with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders’ $75M Bet: Why Tom Brady Believes in Geno Smith
In an interview with RG, Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, praised Smith’s early impact.
“He’s a great leader for the organization. Everyone’s excited to have him, and Geno’s done a great job since he was acquired, coming in and working his tail off. Everyone’s excited about the direction we’re heading,” Brady said.
Smith was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Raiders in mid-March. The deal was straightforward: Seattle got a third-round pick in return.
For many fans, the vision was immediately apparent. Smith is set to earn up to $75 million over the next two seasons, per Spotrac.
Brady’s Raiders Now Resemble One of His Greatest Super Bowl Rivals — On Paper
Brady’s comeback win over the Falcons is legendary, but one of his closest Super Bowl calls came against Pete Carroll’s Seahawks. In that game, a last-second interception at the goal line saved the day for Brady.
Now, nearly 10 years later, the Raiders are starting to look more like that Seahawks team than Brady’s own Patriots squad.
Back then, Seattle had a dominant defense, a power back in Marshawn Lynch, and a young QB in Russell Wilson who faced plenty of early criticism.
Coming to an end zone near you 👀
A sight we’ll see a lot in the fall: Ashton Jeanty takes the handoff from Geno Smith at #Raiders OTAs and talks ball with Pete Carroll. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/y61JKrna6i
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) May 29, 2025
Today’s Raiders have Carroll, a once-doubted QB in Smith, and a bruising rookie back in Ashton Jeanty. The defense still needs work — it ranked 21st in PFSN’s Defense+ metrics — but they’re taking clear steps to mirror that 2014 Seahawks mold.
Of course, rebuilding in the AFC West is no easy task. The Raiders were the only team in the division to miss the playoffs and finish below .500. The Chiefs are still the class of the conference, and both the Chargers and Broncos made solid moves this offseason.
Will the new-look Raiders be enough to finally close the gap?